Eligibility for growth hormone therapy in children born small for gestational age is substantially lower than expected.

BACKGROUND: Growth hormone therapy is indicated for children who are both born 'small for gestational age' (SGA) and do not achieve adequate catch-up growth (ACUG). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the actual incidence of infants born SGA and their actual ACUG. METHODS: Birth weight data from the newborn registry at two hospitals were analysed during four consecutive years. SGA was defined according to WHO parameters and the corresponding Israeli criteria. Follow-up measurements of height and weight were abstracted from either the Ministry of Health-child growth follow-up centres, or their paediatrician clinic. ACUG was declared when the height reached was above -2.5 or -2 standard deviations (SDS) from the mean for age and gender. RESULTS: Out of 43 307, only 524 babies in the cohort (1.2%) were SGA (52% of expected). This finding was consistent annually. Out of the 446 SGA born children with available growth data (85%) during 4-8 years, 405 children (90.8%) reached a height greater than -2SDS and 428 (96%!) reached a height greater than -2.5 SDS. Term children had higher rate of ACUG achievement as compared to preterm 97.2% vs 86.8% (P < .001). Birth week and birth weight were also related to achievement of ACUG (P < .001). CONCLUSION: This large representative, heterogeneous and Western Caucasian cohort indicates that the actual number of SGA newborns is nearly half of the expected and that the actual prevalence of ACUG is also significantly higher than previously reported. These findings may have an impact on morbidity, health cost planning and growth hormone requirements in SGA babies.

CFTR potentiator therapy ameliorates impaired insulin secretion in CF patients with a gating mutation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of treatment with ivacaftor on insulin secretion in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) (ΔF508\S549R) having CFRD/impaired insulin secretion. METHODS: A standard OGTT was performed before and after 16weeks of treatment with ivacaftor in 2 sibling patients with CF carrying the S549R gating mutation. The area under the curve (AUC) for glucose and insulin was calculated using the trapezoidal estimation. RESULTS: Before treatment, the OGTT of case 1 showed indeterminate glycemia; the OGTT of case 2 indicated CFRD. After ivacaftor treatment the OGTT demonstrated improved insulin secretion pattern mainly by increased first phase early insulin secretion, resulting in reduction of the AUC of glucose in both cases. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment with ivacaftor in patients with CF carrying gating mutation can ameliorate impaired insulin secretion. Further studies and larger cohorts are needed to evaluate the impact of ivacaftor on insulin secretion in patients with CF carrying gating or other mutations.

Long duration of hyperglycemia in the first 96 hours of life is associated with severe intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and blood glucose variables during the first 96 hours of life in preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: Preterm infants with IVH grade 3-4 (n = 70) were compared with matched infants of similar gestational age and birth weight, but with no IVH (n = 108). Studied variables included the frequency and duration of hyper/hypoglycemic (>6.9/<3.3 mmol/L, respectively) events, the extreme slope of an event evolution, the maximal glucose value observed, and the "hyper/hypoglycemic index" representing a weighted average of the hyper/hypoglycemic amplitude. RESULTS: The IVH group had significantly more hyperglycemic events (2.9 ± 1.7 vs 2.4 ± 1.8 events, P < .05) with longer duration (22.2 ± 14.2 vs 14.1 ± 12.5 hours, P < .001) and a higher hyperglycemic index (1.0 ± 0.9 vs 1.4 ± 1.0, P = .003) compared with the non-IVH controls. Respiratory distress syndrome, hypotension, and thrombocytopenia increased the adjusted OR for IVH. Hypoglycemia was not independently associated with IVH. Conversely, the increase in hyperglycemic duration was most prominently increasing the aOR for severe IVH (OR = 10.33, 95% CI = 10.0-10.6, P = .033). CONCLUSION: Longer duration of hyperglycemia in the first 96 hours of life was most strongly associated with severe IVH in preterm infants. Consequently, interventional studies to determine the selective effect of continuous control of long-lasting hyperglycemia by appropriate and timed insulin treatment on the incidence of severe IVH are warranted.

Euthyroid submedian free T4 and subclinical hypothyroidism may have a detrimental clinical effect in Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant thyroid function is highly prevalent in Down syndrome (DS). We aimed to find whether subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) or low-normal free T4 (FT4) are associated with a detrimental clinical outcome in untreated DS patients. METHODS: 157 patients assessed at Hadassah Down Syndrome Center between 2004 and 2010 by comprehensive clinical evaluation and tests for hemoglobin, FT4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were subdivided into subgroups including: clinical hypothyroidism, SCH, euthyroid submedian or supramedian FT4, and alternatively for euthyroidism and TSH levels (submedian or supramedian TSH). RESULTS: Hypothyroidism was found in 21.7% and SCH in another 14.9% of the patients. Moderate/severe hypotonia were more frequent among SCH patients compared to euthyroid patients (52.6 vs. 16.4%, p = 0.002). Patient's hemoglobin levels were lower in the euthyroid submedian FT4 group compared to the euthyroid supramedian FT4 group (10.9 vs. 0% below the normal range, p = 0.001). Interestingly, FT4 levels correlated negatively with increasing age among euthyroid DS patients (Pearson's correlation coefficient = -0.324, p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: SCH and euthyroid submedian FT4 may have significant clinical sequelae, such as hypotonia and anemia. Interventional studies with L-thyroxine replacement may be indicated in these subpopulations. Our finding that FT4 levels decrease with age in DS (contrasting the general population trend) may indicate redefining the normal FT4 levels range in DS.

Patients with cystic fibrosis and normoglycemia exhibit diabetic glucose tolerance during pulmonary exacerbation.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cystic fibrosis and normoglycemia (CF-NGT) have higher but still "normal" glucose levels in the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Respiratory exacerbation is associated with metabolic stress. The objective of this study was to assess the glucose metabolism and its relation to the steady state pulmonary function (FEV1) in patients with CF-NGT, specifically during pulmonary exacerbations (PE). METHODS: CF-NGT patients who were not on steroids, underwent OGTT and intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT) during PE and 4weeks after complete recovery. RESULTS: Of the ten recruited patients two had diabetic OGTT and were excluded. The remaining normoglycemic patients displayed during PE a diabetic glucose tolerance with mean glucose levels of 233+/-8 and 262+/-11mg/dl at 90 and 120min respectively, compared with normal levels of 154+/-21and 126+/-20mg/dl (p<0.002) during the steady state. IVGTT showed a tendency to higher first phase insulin release during PE compared with the steady state.(min 3; 305+/-80 vs. 216+/-40pmol\l p=0.075). Finally, when relating the diabetic status to the general respiratory function we found a negative correlation between baseline FEV1 and glucose levels at 2h after OGTT during PE (r=-0.88, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: In this pilot study we show that during PE patients with CF and normal glucose tolerance exhibited early latent diabetic glucose intolerance. As this hyperglycemia presents in the later parts of the OGTT it probably results from insufficient second phase insulin secretion during PE. The negative correlation observed here between the diabetic glucose tolerance and FEV1 indicate the need of interventional studies using insulin during PE in non-diabetic patients to determine its potential benefit on the outcome from recurrent PEs.

The H syndrome: a genodermatosis characterized by indurated, hyperpigmented, and hypertrichotic skin with systemic manifestations.

BACKGROUND: The association of cutaneous hyperpigmented, hypertrichotic, and indurated patches associated with hearing loss, short stature, cardiac anomalies, hepatosplenomegaly, scrotal masses, and hypogonadism has not, to our knowledge, been previously recognized as a disease entity. OBJECTIVE: We describe 10 patients with the above-mentioned findings. METHODS: Patients were clinically examined and extensive laboratory evaluation was performed. RESULTS: We describe 10 patients from 6 Arab consanguineous families with hyperpigmented, hypertrichotic, and indurated cutaneous patches involving the middle and lower parts of their bodies. In addition, patients displayed short stature, sensorineural hearing loss, cardiac anomalies, hepatosplenomegaly, and scrotal masses. Laboratory evaluation revealed growth hormone deficiency and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism with azoospermia. Cutaneous histopathologic examination showed hyperpigmentation of the basal layer with seborrheic-keratosis-like acanthosis, histiocytic infiltration, and a perivascular mononuclear infiltrate with plasma cells and mast cells throughout the dermis and subcutaneous fat. Comparison with several patients, recently reported in the medical literature, with similar cutaneous findings is made. LIMITATIONS: Laboratory evaluation in some patients was incomplete because of lack of cooperation. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that our patients represent a novel multisystemic autosomal recessive inherited disorder. We call this constellation of symptoms the "H syndrome."